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Detailed Description

Configuration of Services, Products and Structure in CentreBill

CentreBill is a highly configurable system which conforms to a very specific structure. Once the person(s) responsible for configuring the system grasp this structure then the set up of the company within CentreBill is straight forward. This section will cover some of the basic concepts only and is not intended as a tutorial.

The following diagram shows the basic structure behind CentreBill:



 

In the above screen, for each of the modules shown below the Configure block (Contacts, Company Setup, eLists, Reporting, Admin, Services, Contribution Margin, Company Setup, System Admin), the following is possible:

  • Determine the position of the module on the left hand sidebar
     
  • Determine the position of each of the function buttons for each of the modules on the left hand sidebar
     
  • Select the icon to be used for each of the function buttons from an icon cofigurator
     
  • Determine if the function is to appear as a tab strip on the main Contacts View window (to enable quick navigation to specific functions from the main screen)

The screen below shows the icons editor:


All Services in CentreBill are configured as follows:

CentreBill's structure comprises three levels when defining services:

  • Group Level
  • Type Level
  • Item Level

Each service in CentreBill has numerous Attributes associated with it, depending upon the type of service. These attributes may include:

  • Default Attributes – those attributes required for the successful billing of the service. The invoice run raises charges for each service to be billed based on the value of the Default Attributes. These are the minimum requirements for the successful bill run (e.g. monthly recurring charge for an ADSL service)
     
  • Other Attributes – these are attributes which are assigned to the service and are useful for information purposes rather than billing purposes (e.g. installation address for a particular service).

CentreBill's three-level model can best be understood in terms of Object Oriented programming, namely, the parent-child relationship between the levels.

Attributes defined at the parent level are inherited to the child level. Furthermore, default values assigned against these attributes at the parent level are also inherited at the child level. This makes it very quick to add many services to the system without significant configuration rework.

Each of these levels will be discussed in detail.

Defining Service Group Level

The term Services in CentreBill can be misleading. Services may include any product or service which the company wishes to supply or sell. These can be:

  • Ad-hoc – once off charges (e.g. labor, hardware, licenses)
     
  • Recurring – on a subscription basis, billed periodically in advance based on customer contracts with any excess utilization billed in arrears (e.g. telco and ISP services, magazine subscriptions)
     
  • Membership – on a renewal basis based where the company invites customers to take up their service for a fee (e.g. membership of associations, domain renewal)

All unique services are defined at the Group Level. These are services that have nothing in common with each other and thus there is no overlap in their billing attributes (e.g. billing for an ADSL service versus selling a software licence).

The services at the Group Level are defined by having unique lists of Default Attributes, i.e. the attributes of one service are so different to the attributes of another service that it makes sense to create a completely different service definition for the two services.

The screen below shows the view for the Default Attributes for the Group of services called Internet Access.



The screen shows the following:
  • Top left window – list of Service Groups expanded in the tree structure below the Services level
     
  • Top right window – for the Service Group selected from the top left window, the Service Types configured for the group selected. The navigation buttons on the left of this window are context sensitive and allow the user to move to the next level only, in this instance to select and view a Service Type.
     
  • The bottom window – this window shows a tab strip with the following headings: Default Attributes, Other Attributes, Setup Charges, Termination Charges, Rejoining Charges, Configure Web, Service Cost, CM (Contribution Margin). Each of these tabs will be discussed in more detail.

Typically, the only common elements in services belonging to the same Group are the attribute definitions and not attribute values. For example, Internet Access will have the same attributes regardless of the type of access (e.g. fixed rate, monthly data download allowance, monthly hourly allowance – may be unlimited in the case of permanently- on services, excess data and time charges, monthly, quarterly or annual charging, etc).

However, Other Attributes may be defined here for all services falling below the Group to inherit (e.g. IP address of service).

Defining Service Type Level

Below the Service Group Level is the Service Type Level. Once a group has been defined, together with its Default and Other attributes, then the Service Types are defined. Using the above example for an ISP and its Internet Services Group, then Types of Internet Services could include Dial-up, ADSL, SHDSL, Wireless, T1, E1, etc.

At the Type Level, typically the only attribute value which is defined is the GL Code, this being the account against which the income for all services with the same Type will accrue. All Service Items will inherit this GL Code.

Furthermore, additional Other Attributes are added at this level and these too are inherited by the level below the Type level, namely, the Service Items Level.



Defining Service Items Level

This level is where each of the unique products or services to be sold is defined. It could also be called the Plans Level.

Each of the items or plans is created using the attributes, together with any previously assigned values, from the Types Level. The Items will inherit these attributes and values when a new one is created.



At the Items level the values of all the relevant attributes are completed. These are the values which the billing engine will use to raise charges against.

(Note: at all levels, an unlimited number of services may be added. However, it is good practice to minimize the number created in order to avoid an over wieldy system).

It is unnecessary to create a unique item/plan for every service sold. If there are only small variations in the values of the attributes for each instance of the service item (that which is actually assigned to a customer), then it is best to simply edit the values of the attributes at the customer instance level thereby minimizing the number of items/plans required to manage at the Configure Level. Furthermore, any previously inherited attribute value may be changed at any level of the structure and at the instance level.

Should an attribute value be changed (at any level), the system will perform a search and replace for all other instances of the service at any level in the structure with the new value. If the original value had previously been changed in a specific instance of the item/plan, the changed value will not be updated with the new default value for the service. This is discussed further during training.

Service Items/Plans may be added, edited and deleted (if no instance of the service has been previously assigned).



The screen below shows how the Default Attributes differs for Voice Services. In this case, Voice has been defined as a unique service Group and thus all instances of this service have inherited the attributes further down the structure.



It may be noticed that Voice service have additional Default Attributes tabs and these include:
  • Default – repetitive billing attributes
     
  • National – attributes for national billing of calls (charge interval, charge rate, flagfall rate, free seconds)
     
  • Other usage – as above for "other" billing
     
  • International – as above for International billing

CentreBill uses a pre-rated CDR file for its billing.